Please Touch Museum
Please Touch Museum
4.5
11:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
Hands-on museum where adults and children can learn and explore together. The Museum is open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission is $19 for adults and children age one and over. Children under one are free.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Neighborhood: Fairmount Park
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,327 reviews
Excellent
895
Very good
294
Average
93
Poor
21
Terrible
24
anna
Annville, PA1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
We came here on a rainy Sunday. Apparently EVERYONE in the philly vicinity also came here on a rainy Sunday. The museum was obviously not equipped to handle the influx of patrons but still let all of us in. When we showed up at the entrance there was a long line to get in - outside - in the pouring rain. That line took 30+ minutes of waiting. Then once you get inside, there’s another long line to get to the ticket counter. At least another 30 min of waiting. This is a great time with a 3 year old and an infant!! Every parent looked miserable. But we had all paid over $80 for 2 adult tickets, a child ticket and $16 in parking to be there and we had driven 1.5 hours so we were sticking it out. Once we were inside things did not get better. There’s not enough toys at each station for multiple kids. Heck, there’s usually not ANY toys. Good luck if you can find the toy that goes to a booth- it’s hidden somewhere in the huge museum. I never saw 1 staff member restocking anything in the 3 hours we were there. They are short staffed and not equipped to handle large crowds, yet they let us all in anyways. They should’ve limited the number of people to the amount that their skeleton staff can handle. I recommend visiting on a slow weekday to get the most enjoyment out of this place. Incredibly disappointed and we would’ve turned around and gone home had we not driven so far and spent so much money on it already
Written July 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HaTaLa41
Brooklyn, NY24 contributions
May 2022 • Family
Museum had a lot of hype and wanted to go for some time. The outside and grounds are gorgeous. BUT I felt it was very run down inside. Duct tape over floor cracks. Dirty. Not well lit. I am sorry to say I recommend the Smith Playground and house in Fairmount over this museum until they spruce it up, clean it up and get better lighting.
Written July 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
torav
Baltimore, MD203 contributions
Jan 2023
Even when super busy on a Saturday morning, I LOVED sharing time with my 14 month old grandson at this museum. The line up for the carousal went super quick. My only complaint was the long slow line up at the cafeteria and the limited spaces to sit at to eat. Food was really good though!!
Written February 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megan M
Princeton, NJ688 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
This was our first visit to the PTM. I’ve been wanting to go for years. My son is 7 and 1/2 and my daughter is 4 and 1/2. Figured it was now or never-before my son outgrew it. We had a great time! Both kids had a blast. Some of their favorite exhibits included the grocery store (scanner was a hit) the Alice In Wonderland Mazes, and the Dinosaur Train (my son loved the horn and bell). They also loved creating art in the Creative Arts Studio. We signed up a workshop in The Makerspace too. The workshop involved creating a hand held marble run. Kids loved it! I got in line way early to make sure we got a spot. Sign ups start 30 minutes before the workshop starts. Food was decent. Kids liked the pizza and I had a prepared chicken salad sandwich and my husband had a grilled chicken sandwich. (We might’ve been quite pleased with this dining experience after our nightmare lunchtime at The Philadelphia Zoo.) It cost @$90 for two kids and two adults. Parking was free on the street. We arrived @10:30 and left @2:00. Plenty of time! The building is quite impressive too. Highly recommend this museum!
Written November 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chelsea M
Towson, MD336 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
My husband, two young sons (2 under 2), and I came to this museum today. The exhibits were fun for our almost two year old who loves running around touching literally everything. There were some improvements that could have been made such as the loose floor tiles in the main entrance. Apparently a small child peed on the water section (I did not see it, but was told by a nearby patron), but the staff was quick to drain the water and sanitize the area. Overall it was a great time but I will probably wait until our youngest son turns 3 and our older son is 4 to truly see everything this museum has to offer.
Written June 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie W
2 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
You may think this place is safe being as how it’s a Children’s Museum but it is not. There are 2 floors with no separation (floor or netting) between the 2nd and 1st floors. children can throw toys over the 2nd floor and onto people on the first floor. We watched this happen to 2 children! Both were hit by wooden blocks a child knowingly threw down from the 2nd to 1st floor. Flying from a story above can do damage! One child had a gushing head wound and the museum did nothing. Please be careful if you take children and go on the lower level. Watch out for flying objects that could injure children or anyone!!
Written March 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leven4all
Jericho, NY301 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
The Please Touch Museum was one of the most enjoyable children’s museums I have ever visited. The building that it is housed in is magnificent. Our granddaughter enjoyed the carousel. The water play area, the grocery store, the Alice in Wonderland themed play area were all wonderful. The art work was beautiful. At this museum, young children are totally engaged exploring their physical environment instead of staring at screens.
Written April 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
worldtravelier
New Jersey4,131 contributions
May 2022
Went on a Saturday. Two granddaughters 3 and 5. Very enjoyable for them. Different theme settings during a walk through. Cafe for refreshments and lunch. Ample parking. Interesting to note that the building was for the 1876 centennial exposition. The area was the fairgrounds. There is a carousel all day fun for only $5.00 A must see.
Written May 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ammr54
Hazlet, NJ10 contributions
Nov 2022
We took my 6 year old granddaughter and she LOVED it! We arrived at 10 and she was nonstop motion and play until 4. Lets kids use their imagination and learn through play. Highly recommend a visit for anyone with young children. Also has plenty of benches so you can relax while watching your child explore.
Written November 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Explore24096
Philadelphia, PA1 contribution
The PTM is great fun; as soon as your child can crawl, he/she can enjoy the museum. It's educational, safe and interactive. My toddler always comes home with a new skill and/or word!
Written November 26, 2002
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I need to reserve parking in lot, how do I do after I made reservations
Written September 1, 2021
what is the discounted rate and how did you receive?
Written July 24, 2019
We ended up getting a years membership so it was a nice discount and includes rides on the carousel etc. I cannot recall the % off! So sorry!
Written July 25, 2019
Would this be a suitable activity for a nine month old who is not yet crawling/walking?
Written June 17, 2019
I would say it is not really suitable for a baby under 1 that does not walk or crawl. The baby would not be able to enjoy all the toddler activities so not worth spending the money. It is a great place for little ones but they should at least be walking to fully enjoy all there is to touch/play with.
Written June 18, 2019
Is it possible to ride/ visit the carousel without paying the full admission price? I am an adult traveling, but love carousels and was hoping to see this one, but will not be exploring the rest of the museum.
Thanks for responses!
Written August 28, 2018
I cannot answer for sure but I have to believe that they would probably prohibit it since there would be no one to escort you to and from the carousel. Also I have not seen a price advertised for that purpose.
Written August 28, 2018
If you prefer to take a cab rather than public transportation, I would suggest Embassy Suites at Ben Franklin Parkway (10 minutes). There are many hotels to choose near City Hall (3 Marriott brand hotels, Hyatt, Hilton, etc...) which is located 5 to 10 minutes further away.
Written July 26, 2018
I agree, age 9 is mostly too old for this, they tended to take over some activities from younger kids. Try the Franklin Institute instead.
Written June 30, 2018
Are there any restriction to bringing outside food into the museum? I have a very picky eater (even though he is not a toddler).
Written August 23, 2017
I called and confirmed that they do allow outside food to be brought in. The Franklin Institute does as well, I believe, which is better for slightly older children.
Written August 23, 2017
pretty much everyone has responded with the same answer. Use AAA for a better discount. You can go on AAA and see about getting your tickets from them. They are very good for having discounted tickets. Also, group pricing is another option if you have others that might want to go, but check there website out for specials. The food is high $$$ I would suggest eating at Mc Donalds which is located at 52nd and Lancaster which is only 10 min ride - use GPS for directions through the park if you are not a resident of the area. Even I get lost going through the park. Also make sure your children wash there hands good when finishing playing, because it is a hands on touch place and they will have an awesome time!!! Hope this helped in addition to everyone else's comments.
Written August 21, 2017
Yes, there is. We stayed at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Philadelphia.
Written June 22, 2017
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